Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Greg Abbott

Discover the career path of Greg Abbott, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Greg Abbott is the current and 48th Governor of Texas, serving since 2015. A Republican, he previously served as the Texas Attorney General from 2002 to 2015 and as a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001. He is currently the longest-serving incumbent governor in the United States.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1984: Abbott Joins Butler and Binion, LLP

In 1984, Greg Abbott joined Butler and Binion, LLP where he worked until 1992.

1992: Abbott Leaves Butler and Binion, LLP

In 1992, Greg Abbott ceased working for Butler and Binion, LLP.

1995: Abbott Appointed to Texas Supreme Court

In 1995, Greg Abbott was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Governor George W. Bush.

1996: Abbott Appointed to Texas Supreme Court

In 1996, Greg Abbott became a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

1998: Van Os Opponent in Supreme Court Election

In 1998, David Van Os was Greg Abbott's Democratic opponent in the election for state Supreme Court.

1998: Abbott Reelected to Texas Supreme Court

In 1998, Greg Abbott defeated Democrat David Van Os and was reelected to the Texas Supreme Court.

2001: Abbott Resigns and Campaigns for Lieutenant Governor

In 2001, Greg Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court to run for lieutenant governor of Texas, before switching his campaign to attorney general.

2001: Abbott Returns to Private Practice

In 2001, Greg Abbott returned to private practice and worked for Bracewell & Giuliani after resigning from the Supreme Court to run for Texas lieutenant governor.

2001: End of Abbott's Supreme Court Tenure

In 2001, Greg Abbott's tenure as a justice of the Texas Supreme Court came to an end.

December 2, 2002: Abbott Sworn in as Attorney General

On December 2, 2002, Greg Abbott was sworn in as the Attorney General of Texas, following John Cornyn's election to the U.S. Senate.

2002: Abbott Becomes Attorney General of Texas

In 2002, Greg Abbott was appointed as the 50th Attorney General of Texas.

2002: Abbott Elected Texas Attorney General

In 2002, Greg Abbott was elected as the Texas Attorney General with 57% of the vote.

March 2005: Abbott Defends Ten Commandments Monument

In March 2005, Greg Abbott delivered oral argument before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Texas, defending a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol.

December 21, 2005: Abbott Adds Allegations to Sony BMG Lawsuit

On December 21, 2005, Greg Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG, alleging that the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws.

2005: Abbott Advocates for Ten Commandments Display

In 2005, as Attorney General, Greg Abbott successfully advocated for the Texas State Capitol to display the Ten Commandments in the U.S. Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Perry.

November 7, 2006: Abbott Reelected as Attorney General

On November 7, 2006, Greg Abbott was reelected as Attorney General, defeating David Van Os.

2006: Abbott Reelected as Attorney General

In 2006, Greg Abbott was reelected as the Texas Attorney General with 60% of the vote.

2010: Abbott Reelected as Attorney General for Third Term

In 2010, Greg Abbott was reelected as the Texas Attorney General for a third term with 64% of the vote.

2010: Abbott Reelected to Third Term as Attorney General

In 2010, Greg Abbott was reelected to a third term as Attorney General, defeating Barbara Ann Radnofsky.

2011: Abbott Raised Funds for his Campaign

In the first six months of 2011, Greg Abbott raised funds for his campaign.

July 2013: Abbott Announces Candidacy for Governor

In July 2013, Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election, shortly after Rick Perry announced he would not seek a fourth term.

2013: Abbott Sues Obama Administration

In 2013, Greg Abbott stated his job involved suing Barack Obama and his administration, filing 31 lawsuits during his tenure as attorney general.

March 4, 2014: Abbott Wins Republican Primary

On March 4, 2014, Greg Abbott won the Republican primary with 91.5% of the vote and faced State Senator Wendy Davis in the general election.

2014: Abbott Runs for Governor

In 2014, Greg Abbott ran for Governor of Texas.

2014: United States Chamber of Commerce Sessions

In early 2014, Greg Abbott participated in sessions held at the headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce to devise a legal strategy to dismantle climate change regulations.

January 20, 2015: Abbott Sworn in as Governor of Texas

On January 20, 2015, Greg Abbott was sworn in as governor of Texas, succeeding Rick Perry. He became the first governor of Texas to use a wheelchair.

March 15, 2015: Abbott Meets with Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny

On March 15, 2015, Greg Abbott held his first meeting as governor with a foreign prime minister, meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss trade and economic relations.

June 2015: Border Security Bill Signed

In June 2015, Abbott signed a bill bolstering Texas's border security operations, including hiring additional state police, expanding the use of technology, and creating intelligence operations units.

2015: Abbott Signed the Pastor Protection Act

In 2015, Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act, which allows members of the clergy to refuse to officiate at same-sex weddings if they feel doing so violates their beliefs.

2015: Signed Campus Carry and Open Carry Bills

In 2015, Abbott signed the campus carry (SB 11) and the open carry (HB 910) bills into law, allowing licensed carry of a concealed handgun on public college campuses and licensed open carry of a handgun in public areas and private businesses.

2015: Abbott Becomes Governor of Texas

In 2015, Greg Abbott assumed office as the 48th governor of Texas.

January 8, 2016: Abbott Calls for National Constitutional Convention

On January 8, 2016, Greg Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address perceived abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court.

May 17, 2016: Abbott Elaborates on Constitutional Convention Proposal

On May 17, 2016, Greg Abbott elaborated on his proposal for a national constitutional convention in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute.

December 2016: Abbott's Campaign Funds Reach $34.4 Million

As of December 2016, Greg Abbott's campaign had $34.4 million on hand, with $9 million raised during the second half of 2016.

2016: Abbott Calls for Convention of States and Proposes Texas Plan

In 2016, Greg Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, calling for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. He proposed the Texas Plan to limit federal power and expand states' rights.

2016: Supported Scott Pruitt's EPA Appointment

In 2016, Greg Abbott supported Scott Pruitt's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating they had collaborated on lawsuits against the EPA previously.

2016: Abbott's Book "Broken But Unbowed" Released

In 2016, Greg Abbott's book, "Broken But Unbowed", was released, recounting his personal story and views on politics.

Broken But Unbowed: The Fight to Fix a Broken America

Check it on Amazon

2016: Open Carry Bill Effective

In 2016, the open carry bill went into effect, allowing licensed open carry of a handgun in public areas and private businesses unless they display a "30.07" sign. Texas became the 45th state to have open carry.

January 2017: Abbott Raises Funds for Reelection Bid

In January 2017, it was reported that Greg Abbott was raising funds for his 2018 reelection bid as governor.

January 21, 2017: Abbott Announces Intention to Run for Reelection

On January 21, 2017, Greg Abbott announced his intention to run for reelection as governor of Texas during the weekend.

February 2017: Blocked Funding to Travis County

In February 2017, Abbott blocked funding to Travis County, Texas, due to its recently implemented sanctuary city policy.

March 28, 2017: Abbott Confirms Reelection Run

On March 28, 2017, Greg Abbott confirmed his intention to run for reelection as governor of Texas.

June 6, 2017: Abbott Calls for Special Legislative Session

On June 6, 2017, Greg Abbott called for a special legislative session to pass his legislative priorities, which was supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

July 14, 2017: Abbott Formally Announces Reelection Campaign

On July 14, 2017, Greg Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign, four days before the start of a special legislative session.

2017: Abbott Signed House Bill 3859 Allowing Faith-Based Groups to Deny Services

Also in 2017, Abbott signed House Bill 3859, allowing faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny services "under circumstances that conflict with the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs." Critics argued this could lead to discrimination, and California added Texas to a list of states banning official government travel in response.

2017: Abbott Signed Senate Bill 24, Protecting Pastors' Sermons

In 2017, Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24, preventing state or local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons. This bill was prompted by an anti-discrimination ordinance in Houston where five pastors' sermons had been subpoenaed.

2017: Lowered Handgun Carry License Fees

In 2017, Abbott signed into law a bill lowering handgun carry license fees in Texas.

2018: Abbott Reelected as Texas Governor

In 2018, Greg Abbott was reelected as the governor of Texas.

2018: Abbott's 2018 Reelection Bid

In January 2017, Abbott was reportedly raising funds for a 2018 reelection bid as governor.

June 2019: Abbott Signed House Bill 1325, Legalizing Industrial Hemp

In June 2019, Abbott signed House Bill 1325 into law, legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp (cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC) in Texas. The bill also legalized possession and sale of hemp-derived CBD products without requiring a doctor's approval.

June 2019: Signed Bill Allowing More Armed Teachers

In June 2019, Abbott signed a bill allowing for more armed teachers in schools and creating "threat assessment teams". Proposals to adopt a red flag law failed.

February 2021: Abbott Calls for ERCOT Reforms

In February 2021, following a winter storm and power crisis in Texas, Governor Abbott called for reforms to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and signed a bill requiring power plant weatherization.

June 2021: Signed Permitless Carry Bill

In June 2021, Abbott signed into law a permitless carry bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training beginning in September.

September 2021: Increased Border Security Spending

In September 2021, Abbott signed legislation allocating nearly $2 billion to Texas's border security operations, including $750 million for border wall construction.

October 2021: Abbott Appointed John Scott as Texas Secretary of State

In October 2021, Abbott appointed John Scott as Texas secretary of state, positioning him to oversee Texas elections. Scott had previously aided Trump in his efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results.

2021: Abbott's "Hard Right Turn"

After the regular 2021 session, The New York Times described Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick as "the driving force behind one of the hardest right turns in recent state history."

2021: Signed Permitless Carry Bill

In 2021, Abbott signed into law a bill that allowed Texans to carry guns without a license.

2021: Trump Endorses Abbott for Reelection

In 2021, during Donald Trump's first presidency, Trump endorsed Greg Abbott for reelection, choosing him over several Republican primary rivals. Abbott ardently supported Trump during his presidency.

2022: Abbott Emphasizes "Culture War" Issues

By his 2022 reelection campaign, Greg Abbott more prominently emphasized "culture war" issues, drawing comparisons to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

2022: Abbott Reelected as Texas Governor

In 2022, Greg Abbott was reelected as the governor of Texas.

January 2023: Advisors Suggest Abbott Might Run for Fourth Term

In January 2023, advisors close to Greg Abbott suggested in an Austin American Statesman article that he had not ruled out running for a fourth term in 2026.

December 2023: Signed Border Security Bills

In December 2023, Abbott signed three border-security-related bills into law, including a bill making illegal immigration a state crime.

2024: Opposed United Auto Workers Unionization

In 2024, Abbott joined five other Republican governors in a statement opposing the United Auto Workers unionization campaign.

2024: Abbott Campaigns Against House Republicans Opposing Voucher Program

Leading into the 2024 elections, Greg Abbott campaigned against incumbent House Republicans who voted against his voucher program.

September 10, 2025: Abbott Orders Development of Regulations for THC Products

On September 10, 2025, Abbott issued an executive order directing the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to develop regulations and oversight of THC products. These regulations included a prohibition on sales of the product to anyone under 21 and requiring a government-issued ID to purchase it.

November 9, 2025: Abbott Announces Candidacy for Fourth Term

On November 9, 2025, Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for reelection to a fourth term as governor.

November 2025: Abbott Declared Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR Terrorist Organizations

In November 2025, Abbott declared the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) as "foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations". He also called for an investigation of so-called "sharia courts", stating the Constitution's religious protections do not allow religious courts to bypass state and federal laws.

2025: Abbott Longest-Serving Incumbent Governor

As of 2025, Greg Abbott is the longest-serving incumbent governor in the United States.

2025: Authorized National Guard Deployment

In 2025, Abbott authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to support the deployment of federal forces in the United States.

2025: Abbott Signed Texas Senate Bill 10 Requiring Display of Ten Commandments in Schools

In 2025, Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 10, which mandates that all public schools display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. This action occurred a day after a federal court blocked a similar law in Louisiana.

2025: Abbott Vetoed Bill Banning THC Products

In 2025, after the sale of consumable hemp products containing delta-8-THC increased significantly, the legislature passed SB 3, which would have completely banned the sale of THC products in the state. Greg Abbott vetoed the bill due to public outcry, putting him at odds with Lieutenant Governor Patrick. He proposed regulation instead of a full ban, including restrictions on the age of consumers, time of purchase, and testing requirements, but comprehensive legislation failed to pass.